Tragic One
by Michi Fujisaki
Summary: Luffy is a broken teen who has been experimented on ever since he was little. Because of that he has something called Devil powers. It's not easy living with the said powers especially when escaping the grasps of a evil scientist who is searching all of Tokyo for him. Ah...not to mention that fact that he's slowly falling in love with another guy. - AU - boyxboy Luffy x TBA


**Disclaimer: I do not own one piece.**

**_Summary: Luffy is a broken teen who has been experimented on ever since he was little. Because of that he has something called Devil powers. It's not easy living with the said powers especially when escaping the grasps of a evil scientist who is searching all of Tokyo for him. Ah...not to mention that fact that he's slowly falling in love with another guy. - AU - boyxboy Luffy x TBA_**

**Chapter 1: The Encounter**

* * *

Monkey D. Luffy's sandaled feet pattered across the floor, the world a blur to him as he ran to the room on the other side of the hospital. That room he ran towards was a room filled with death. It was a strong feeling, encasing the whole hospital in a bubble of silence that had not been broken - at least not yet. Really, it was a feeling hard to explain...like a mix of death and hopelessness that swirled numbly through Luffy's pounding veins that made his body feel heavy as though he could just crumble in the middle of the hallway and lay down from the sheer pressure of his own blood...and then rest. But it was also a rash feeling of restlessness, where the thought of breaking things - anything really - seemed to be a good idea. But Luffy did not have time for that. His goal was that room...the room in which these feelings were the most concentrated, radiating off of its light yellow walls...bouncing off the bright, plush furniture and toys inside...which had been placed there, like a sad attempt to create an atmosphere that could mask the imprisonment and depression of the person who resided in that hospital room.

The person - no, the experiment...who spent days and nights in that room had been a tall and rugged teen with black hair and a galaxy of freckles sprinkled across his face. He had a face that looked like he was going to laugh at any given moment...but nobody in the hospital was fooled anymore. Even if he seemed to have a easygoing face, He was the most dangerous experiment currently. It could be seen through his bright and fiery eyes. That look from his eyes could have been a result of the experiments they did on him. Or it had just been how his eyes had always been. It was hard to tell. But those eyes seemed like a predator's; awake, alert, and always looking at something - like as though he was looking for some kind of weakness in their security; a way to get out.

He was a pretty amazing guy. He had a sharp tongue, laughed humorlessly while interacting with the hospital staff, and went through the most painful parts of his daily checkups without blinking an eye. And...he was the only person Luffy had ever cared about in his life. He was his only friend. He was the one who had suffered in Luffy's place this entire time. And he was the one he owed his life to.

Luffy couldn't save him though. He knew that. Death would soon come and envelope the other boy...And Luffy was desperate. Desperate to be with him during his last moments, and desperate to tell the dying boy how sorry he was. But he knew what was going to happen next. Everyone did. This wasn't the first time a project had failed like this. But still. This time, it was different for Luffy. It was important.

Unfortunately, his breathing was already too shallow and specks of sweat flew off his body as he ran, faster than he had ever run in his entire life.

He - the monster everyone feared and the experiment that had gone horribly wrong - was getting tired. It was only natural. He had escaped his hospital room during his scheduled check up, breaking through a large iron handcuff, and whacking the doctor's head off in the process. Large needles filled with general anesthetics, hypnotics, and sedatives were stabbed into him, working in his blood system...but at that moment he just didn't care. He didn't even notice the blood splattered on the floor, or even when the doctor's head fell to his feet. He only cared about the news he just heard.

That his brother, Portgas D. Ace, was dying.

The hospital's main hallway was almost empty except for a few nurses at the end of the hall, talking in low murmurs as he ran towards them. They looked at him with curiosity and disgust, but they made no move to catch him. They knew he had no way out of the hospital and it wasn't their job to catch him. Not that they could, anyway. He was agile. Fast. Too strong for them. But he had no time to waste - no point in killing them. Not when every second was precious. In his mind, he realized that every time he breathed out, his brother's faltering breath probably followed closely afterwards.

He imagined Ace, laying down with sweat dripping down his face, mouth dry, choking on absolutely nothing and everything. Choking out words, spewing out harsh breaths of air. Pain coursing in his veins, like blood equaled pain. Like living equaled pain. And Luffy couldn't hold back a strangled sob. He pushed some more, his legs bubbling from the sheer pressure of his steps, his rubbery skin barely containing the gallons of blood pushed through with the force of a water cannon. He hurt. He burned. But he decided that his brother was going through much worse. The hallway passed by in the span of a few seconds, and he prepared to turn right. Clenching his teeth, Luffy grabbed onto the wall and used the momentum to sharply throw himself towards the direction of the connecting hallway. His arms stretched out and his feet squeaked and burned on the floor- and for a split second, he felt like collapsing. Oh, but he was so close. Maybe about 4 more hallways to go through. He had already gone through plenty beforehand. But he was so tired. His eyes were getting blurry, and his legs faltered from underneath him. Even if he steadied himself a second later and continued to run, it was still a second that was lost.

He wasn't going to make it. That was evident. The hospital already rung the emergency signal. The bubble of silence had burst and now these moments were critical. Faster. He couldn't crumple now. The emergency signal notified the staff that one experiment was on the loose, and since he and Ace were the last experiments of the batch, Luffy wasn't going to be hard to find.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Luffy wanted to scream. The signal blared loudly into his ears and red lights danced across his vision with urgency. Around him, he heard screams erupting from all over the hospital. Faster, he thought. Faster...kick your legs, push yourself until your body is numb and until you are flying through the air, no longer bound to the ground, throw your legs out, push through the burning muscles and wipe the sweat off your brow. He said this to himself. And realized he was almost there. Dozens of security cameras swerved around, following him despite his ridiculous speed. Panic filled his chest and he his limbs failed him again. He regained his balance fast, but his blunders added up...and then...No...he was already seeing them approach him. They were here...the doctors in blue uniforms, masks covering their neutral, emotionless faces. In the dim light, they looked like fallen angels, coming to drag him back to hell. The hell where he felt like he was being destroyed in the place that was supposed to fix him.

Intrusion, revealing, uncovered...

Exposed.

Luffy didn't want to feel that way again. To have his body opened, every single piece of skin and organ laid out for display. To see the lights shining above the operation table; as if he was a animal locked up for the entertainment. To feel the cold, unforgiving and sharp knives that carved into him. To experience the warm hot and sticky redness that burned white in his vision. To hear the screams from his own mouth, so endless and prolonged that sometimes he wasn't sure if he was screaming or if it was all in his head.

No.

He did not want it anymore.

Please...

No More.

Not anymore.

The icy cold cut of the knife in his skin should have made him feel rejuvenated! Like he was alive! But it burned cold and hot in a pain that felt numb and good at the same time. It was like that every time. How he wanted it to cut a little deeper...wanted to forget himself in the pain and to live and to live some more. But...Ace had already left. So he would have to leave too. Whether it was death or freedom, he would find a way. With that in mind, Luffy charged towards them at full speed, with the intention of slipping pass them.

But with his years of experience, he already guessed it wouldn't be that easy to pass the unbreakable barrage of demons. Bright, red danger signals flashed in his mind as the men held up needles, and ran towards him in unison, expressionless, and cold-hearted. Because he was a monster. And they were the ones who decided the worth of his life. The demons clad in blue.

He knew it. Even though he was so close, it ended so quickly. His sight became blurry, and red blazing lights flashed into his eyes. He screamed and screamed, to see Ace, to leave, to run away...to go to the sea.

But the blue had already gone away.

And all he saw was black.

* * *

The next thing Luffy saw was the face of a doctor.

He just woke up from another dose of sedatives. But he wasn't surprised to see the new face. He had killed the previous doctor the last time he woke up, so to see a new doctor so quickly wasn't hard to believe. He wondered what the doctor was like this time. Last time, his doctor had been a kind man in front of the authorities, but behind closed doors, his previous doctor had revealed his sadistic love for torture. With a crazy look in his eyes, he said he loved to see the hopeless look of his patients.

That made Luffy wonder what this new doctor like, He looked closer with his blurry vision - probably blurry because of the tears in his eyes or because he was shot so many sedatives. Maybe it was both. The doctor's face was hard to see in the shadow of the bright lights overhead, but he noticed the doctor was young, but wasn't a teenager. Perhaps 25-35 years old. His eyes were slanted and dark gray, with eye circles below. It gave him a deathly and bored look -despite his tan skin- ...and it made him look dangerous. Luffy looked some more, his eyes focusing a little bit better, and he was surprised to see that this doctor had tattoos all over his hands and long hair that draped across the doctor's shoulders.

To Luffy, the long hair seemed out of place. Strange.

Wrong.

"You're awake...," The doctor said calmly, interrupting Luffy's thoughts with a deep and monotonous voice. "Did you sleep well. Have any dreams?"

The doctor had immediately jumped into question mode, which Luffy didn't mind after so many years of checkups and experimenting, but it still felt strange after sleeping. His head hurt too, but he ignored it, shaking his head. He watched, with a mix of curiosity, as the doctor took note of the answer on his clipboard, tucking the pen behind his ears after he finished writing.

Yes, surprisingly, Luffy had a dreamless sleep - a rarity that only happened when doctors stuck too many sedatives in him. Often, he would have a nostalgic dream about his past or a nightmare that would jar him awake...only to realize he was in another nightmare - reality.

This time, it was utter darkness when he slept. It was almost calming - almost - though the thought of having a dreamless night freaked him out. To have no dreams, where it held the sweet feeling of existing, and not existing at the same time? What a blessing it was, to have the simulation of death put on in his mind without actually dying. That was the beauty of sleep - a good night's sleep at least. It was not a common occurrence, and he savored in the remaining bits of peace in his mind before he opened his eyes again in the rushing deafening sound of clicking machines and metallic whirring.

"Hm. Looks a bit pale," The doctor mumbled, scribbling on the clipboard once again, "Should check up on condition, blood levels, and energy levels more closely. Maybe his diet too. Have they been feeding him prope- no they wouldn't. Of course they wouldn't. Not after seeing what happened with the other one- ah."

The doctor looked up, as though he noticed that Luffy was a living and breathing human for the very first time, "Sorry, I think I haven't introduced myself yet," He held up his hand suddenly and smiled - looking a bit stiff and awkward - as he said, "I'm your new doctor, Trafalgar Law. Pleased to be working with you, experiment #21- er. Monkey D. L...?

"Luffy." He said quietly, "It's Monkey D. Luffy."

Luffy looked at the hand stretched out to him, and wrinkled his nose, jiggling his own hand around to remind the doctor that his hands were currently locked in titanium hand cuffs that were difficult for him to move freely. They had switched it from iron to titanium considering what happened last time. Which caused the doctor the retract the hand slowly, blinking as though he just noticed the hand cuffs. He scratched his head and shrugged. They were quiet for some time after that, with only the sounds of machines, air-conditioning, and the light scratches from Dr. Law's pencil, darting across his clipboard.

Luffy turned his head to the side, away from the blinding lights, tired from pushing his body to the limit. He burned from over-exerting his body, and yet his body felt ice cold. And then hot. And then cold. The lights were a pain to his eyes, but he didn't have his hands free to block the light out. His only solution was to hide his face behind his shoulders in an attempt to rest in darkness. Closing his tired eyes, he thought about what the doctor said just now. Doctor...Law mentioned the other one. He...must have meant Ace...Luffy shivered slightly and shut his eyes tighter, squirming a bit to get the horrid feeling in his chest away. A feeling of red rage resting inside a larger ball of unbreakable sadness, the shade of deep ocean. He couldn't even conjure his rage without a wave of grief sweeping over to drag him down until he was drowning in sorrow and couldn't breathe.

The hospital...no, more like a research facility...what were they trying to do? What were they trying to make out of the orphaned kids? Why him and Ace...Why.

**Why did Ace have to die.**

"Are you cold. You're shivering an awful lot." Law piped up. Luffy opened his wet eyes as the doctor got up, took off his white lab coat, and draped it over Luffy. Luffy blinked as warmth covered him and the sweet smell of cologne arose. He curled his shackled body up and wanted to sleep again, before he realized how wrong it was.

"W-what..what the hell are you doing?" Luffy said, squirming around. He couldn't trust doctors anymore. After going through such a sadistic doctor before, there was no way he would trust them. Why would he ever trust someone after they locked him up in such a hellish place?

"You're cold, right? Was I not supposed to do that?" The doctor said, tugging at his long hair with an amused expression, "Ah, well, whatever. It's not like you can take it off anyway."

"OI! You fucking doctor!" Luffy shouted, trying to get the jacket off, a feeling of rage and grief rushing towards him now. A show of self-pity. "I really don't need your pity right now! I DON'T NEED IT!" He lunged forwards and was stopped by his shackles. He fell back into the metal bed with a loud clang. The jacket slipped off his body and fell in a rumpled pile on the floor.

Law sighed as he bent down to pick it up, folding it and draping it over the chair he had been sitting at. "Such a stubborn and restless kid...You'd think he would have calmed down at such a depressing place...but he's still so..."

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Luffy screamed, eyes staring at the ceiling as he used all his strength in trying to break his chains.

The ball of grief began to unravel. Rage seeped out slowly. Red mixing with blue, like blood into ocean. Slowly, it curled and beat like a heart. Slow, slow, slow, faster, faster. Fast. And then it exploded.

"Ah...he's snapped...I think this is a new record for experiments...he was long overdue at this stage for weeks, its great that it's happened now, though-"

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP YOU FUCKING DOCTOR! WHY DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF...LIKE IM NOT EVEN HERE. WHY? IS IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW I WONT LAST LONG. JUST LIKE ACE! WILL I DIE WITH NO PURPOSE! I HAVEN'T FULFILLED MY DREAMS! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING! WHY. WHY...WHY!" Luffy was screaming so loud now that the people next door - if there were any people next door - could hear him.

"ITS BECAUSE OF YOU ISN'T IT? ISN'T IT? IT'S BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT I HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS. LIKE A PET. LIKE A MONSTER. LIKE SOMEONE WHO ISN'T WORTH ANYTHING. IT IS...ISN'T IT. THAT'S WHY...I HATE YOU...I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU SO MUCH! I HATE YOU SO MUCH I COULD RIP YOUR HEAD OFF RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO SMASH YOUR BODY INTO PIECES. I WANT TO KILL YOU. HURT YOU. DESTROY YOU. AGGGH ITS SO FRUSTRATING! I FUCKING HATE YOU...I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I...HATE YOU..SO...MUCH...SO...MUCH..but...help..." Luffy stopped, gasping for breath, "Please...Help me!"

_Tasukete._

The screams had slowly turned into tears, and the face previously red from anger, turned red for a different reason - shame.

Even Law, at this point, had dropped any tough act, looking at the floor in silence. With his mouth in a taut line. Clenching his fists. Face shadowed.

"Ah. So its finally come to this, huh? I've been waiting for you to say this. I better help you fast, right?" The older doctor smirked, reaching for his bag and getting out a sword. "Don't worry, it won't hurt. It'll only take a moment."

This time it was Luffy's turn to look surprised.

"What are you...!"

**Slice.**

And thus, Luffy was going to see Ace.

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First story in. First chapter in. Surprise. Law is an older man. And Ace is dead. Luffy is in some weird hospital, and you have basically no idea what is going on. Great! Next update is probably gonna be between 1-3 weeks...or just in a few days. Depends on my writing mood.


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